Fully configure host header for Web application (Step-by-Step)

Host header (aka domain names or host names) lets you assign more than one site to a single IP address on a web application hosted in the IIS Web server. In SharePoint, you may need specific name for your website e.g. http://thuansoldier.net/ instead of an ugly URL like http://thuansoldier:32431. Having a friendly URL probably makes your end-users much easier to access SharePoint. They don’t have to remember the port number

Select Classic Mode Authentication by default but you can go with claims-based authentication to leverage tons of capabilities from it. Under Name, type the name of the new Web application. Use default port 80 as it will be used through HTTP. You can select another port but make sure it doesn’t conflict with any common port (e.g. 21..). Under Host Header, type the full domain of the web application you are going to use.

At Security Configuration settings, keep all by default all.

Use existing application pool (optional) Under Database Name at the Database Name and Authentication, remove GUID and keep the name of content database as simple as possible.

Select service application connection if you have and then click OK to create new Web application.

Open Central Administration > Application Management, under Web Applications , click Configure alternate access mappings. Verify that the URL for the default zone is set correctly.

However, when you open portal.ict24h.net whether in Internet Explore 8 or Mozilla Firefox 3.5, you will encounter 404 Page Not Found error. What’s up? Yes, you haven’t created Site collection in your Web application yet.

At Central Administration, click Application Management > Create site collections (under Site Collections). Please notice your Web application that you have just created namely portal.ict24h.net.

What happen did you see? I changed the host header in existing web application successfully . After you configure host header for existing web application, you must restart DNS to update A record and reset IIS by using iisreset command. It will be get things done.

Really nicely written! I tried though and am having a problem. After creating Web Application, Site Collection, updating DNS when I go to the new website I get prompted for login credentials. I try logging in as the administrator and it never lets me in. Any ideas?

Hello There. I discovered your weblog using msn. This is a very neatly written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your helpful information. Thank you for the post. I’ll definitely return.

I followed this step and was able to create web application and site collection. However, I cannot login to the top level site collection, it kept on bringing the login box. Any help will be appreciated.

I have an enviroment SharePoint Server 2010 in virtual machine. My host system is Windows 7 64 professional. Is it possible access the host header deployed in the guest system SharePoint by the host system? Because I tried following your instructions but it only works inside the virtual machine..
I modified the file host inside windows 7 but I keep getting error during access…
Thanks

I have reported to IT and it seems like there is a problem with the DNS failure or load balance issues.
I can ping the IP and could not get to the SP site. This is port 80 and it is available.
I will let you know if this is DNS issue.